The Government of Somaliland has announced a major two-day National Conference on Road Safety and Solutions to Traffic Accidents, scheduled to take place in Hargeisa on 25–26 November 2025.
The conference, organized by the Ministry of Transport and Roads Development, aims to find lasting solutions to the country’s persistent road traffic accident crisis, which officials describe as one of the nation’s biggest disasters.
Speaking at the announcement, Minister of Transport and Roads Development Osman Adan Afgab said vehicle accidents continue to claim hundreds of lives and cause widespread injury and property damage every month.
“Traffic accidents are among the worst calamities affecting Somaliland. Despite all our efforts, we have not yet seen any significant reduction. The main causes are known: the driver and the vehicle,” Minister Afgab said.
He emphasized that the upcoming conference will deliver comprehensive and final solutions to issues related to roads, driving behaviour, and vehicle standards, adding that data has been collected in collaboration with road security agencies and experts.
Minister Afgab urged all citizens, professionals, and experts with ideas or expertise on reducing road accidents to attend and contribute, describing the issue as “a matter of life and death for the Somaliland people.”
General Mohamed Ige Cidhere, Commander of the Somaliland Traffic Police Force, revealed the latest official statistics, noting a slight improvement compared to last year.
“This year, we recorded 6,409 traffic accidents across the country, down from 7,618 in the previous year. However, the human and material cost remains devastating: 164 people lost their lives, 4,454 were injured, and 2,925 vehicles were damaged or destroyed,” Gen. Cidhere said.
The commander stressed that accidents are caused by three main factors: the driver, the vehicle, and the condition of the roads.
The conference is expected to bring together government officials, traffic police, road engineers, vehicle inspectors, religious and traditional leaders, and members of the public to develop an actionable national strategy to drastically reduce road traffic deaths and injuries in Somaliland.